


Walter Math

by whitchry9



Category: The Finder (TV)
Genre: Friendship, Gen, Head Injury, Hurt/Comfort, Seizure, Surgery
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-10-14
Updated: 2013-10-14
Packaged: 2018-04-01 06:01:45
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 7,360
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4008583
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/whitchry9/pseuds/whitchry9
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Even if he's sick, Walter doesn't want to do anything that might risk his finder power. So when it comes down to it, someone else may have to make those decisions for him.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Walter Math

**Author's Note:**

> Originally posted in 12 chapters, but I honestly don't have time for that, so here it is all at once. Woo.

Willa marched into The Ends of The Earth and plopped herself on a stool next to Walter, who was face down, leaning on his arm, muttering something to himself.

He looked up when she sat down, but didn't say anything to her, just staring off into space past Leo, who was shining a glass, stereotypically.

“I've got the necklace Walter,” she announced, dangling it next to him.

Walter didn't respond.

Willa peered at him. “Walter,” she repeated, snapping her fingers in front of his face, which only earned her a dirty look. “What's wrong with you today?”

“I have a headache. And I'm tired,” Walter muttered, frowning at them.

“Right,” Leo said. “Well, I guess that's what happens when you stay up all night setting up a model of an old lady's home, complete with balls of fluff for animals.”

Walter glared at him. “Didn't you have something to do Leo?”

Leo only laughed, but headed out the door.

 

“Here,” Willa offered, holding it out for him to grab.

Walter reached for it, but missed. “Willa, I'm not in the mood,” he warned.

“For what?” she asked. “I didn't do anything.”

“You moved it,” he said irritably.

She frowned at him. “No, I didn't.”

Walter glared at her, but attempted again, and this time managed to snatch it out of her hands.

 

She frowned again. “Leo, Walter's being weirder than normal,” she announced when the other man came back into the room, carting a box under one of his massive arms.

He set it down before turning to them. “New weird or just different weird?”

She examined Walter for a moment before turning back to Leo. “New weird. I don't like it. You try talking to him.”

With that she hopped off the stool and headed out of the bar.

 

Leo sat down next to Walter at the counter. The necklace was dangling from his fingers, and he was watching it intently.

“Is that for the case?” Leo asked.

“The case?” Walter echoed.

“Yes Walter. The case. The old woman who came in because she was sure her grandson had stolen her jewellery, and you were convinced that she'd just misplaced it.”

Walter continued to look at the necklace, not acknowledging Leo. “Oh. Right. No, this is something else.”

He gathered the necklace into one hand and rubbed his head with the other.

“Do we have any of the good drugs? The other things really aren't cutting it for the headache.”

Leo frowned. “No Walter. We do not have any prescription medications that would help with your headache.”

He hopped down from his seat, swaying slightly.

“Are you alright Walter?” Leo asked with concern.

Walter waved the hand away that Leo offered. “Me? Of course. I'm fine Leo. Peachy keen. Just a headache. But if we don't have any drugs, I think I'll just take a nap. That should help.”

He headed off towards his bedroom.

“Tell Willa to come get me if she finds the thing. She'll know what it means!” he called over his shoulder.

Leo watched him go, shaking his head.

 

* * *

 

Willa burst in less than an hour later, breathless and excited. “I've got it,” she exclaimed.

Pausing for a moment, she looked around the bar. Leo was there, along with some of the usual customers, but there was no sign of Walter.

“Where is he?” she asked Leo.

“He went to take a nap. But he said that if you 'found the thing' you should get him.”

Willa shrugged. “Whatever.”

 

She knocked on the door before entering the room.

“Walter, I found the thing, as you called it,” she said loudly, rolling her eyes.

There was a noise from inside.

“I'm taking that as a 'yes, come in Willa' noise,” she told him, pushing open the door cautiously. “God I hope you're dressed,” she muttered.

 

Walter's head poked up from the pillows, his hair in a state of disarray.

“You found the thing?” he asked.

“Yup.”

She plopped down on the bed next to him, the headboard digging into her back uncomfortably. He pushed himself up a bit, but had the luxury of pillow to cushion his head.

She ignored the unfairness and opened the laptop.

“So I went snooping around the kid's Facebook page like you told me to.”

“No, like you offered to, because I didn't think it was worth looking in to,” Walter corrected.

“Whatever. So I found out a bunch of things I didn't need to know, the dude seriously needs to change his privacy setting, I didn't even have to hack anything-”

“Willa,” Walter interjected.

“Right, so I found out that he's dating someone, has been for a while, but it's been rocky, passive aggressive messages on each others wall, status updates that are totally about the other person, without mentioning any names.”

“And what does this have to do with the case?”

She glared at him. “Hang on, I'm getting there. So a few days ago, the messages change. They're totally in love again. So he posts a new profile picture...”

She turned the screen towards Walter, grinning. “And look what his girlfriend is wearing.”

Walter grinned. “The necklace. Guess I was wrong. Doesn't happen too often...” he trailed off.

“No, which is why I have to rub it in when it does happen,” Willa replied, closing the screen of her computer. “Are you and Leo going to talk to the grandma?”

Walter didn't say anything.

Willa looked over at him. “Walter?” He was staring off into space, which he sometimes did when he was thinking, but he never had such a blank look in his eyes.

“Walter?” Willa repeated, waving a hand in front of his face. Sometimes that worked to get his attention, other times not.

This was one of the not times.

Willa sighed, standing up and tucking the laptop under an arm. “Right. Come talk to me when you're done doing the Walter thinking thing.”

She'd just turned her back when Walter made a noise.

She rolled her eyes, but turned back to face him.

“Honestly-”

She stopped when she saw him. He'd stiffened, his head pushed up against the headboard and his left arm dangling off the bed.

“Walter?” she whispered.

His body relaxed, but there was no reprieve for Willa, as he started jerking and spasming, his muscles unable to make up their mind what they wanted to do.

“Leo!” she shrieked.

 

Leo came barrelling through the door, always ready to protect Willa, Isabel, or even Walter from harm when necessary.

He spotted Walter on the bed, still shaking and twitching, and immediately went to his side.

“Call an ambulance,” he ordered Willa, sliding Walter down the bed so his head rested on the pillow again.

Willa nodded and ran off to grab the phone.

 

After Willa got off the phone with the dispatcher, she called Isabel.

It went to voice mail.

“Isabel, it's Willa,” she said, trying to keep her voice steady, and failing miserably. “Something's wrong with Walter. He's going to the hospital. I thought you'd want to be there...” she trailed off, remembering the last time Walter was in the hospital. She hung up, not knowing how to finish the message, or even if she could.

The paramedics arrived shortly after that, and went where Willa pointed them. She didn't follow, not sure if Walter was still like that, not knowing if she could watch it again. She'd seen a lot of things in her life, hell, she'd done a lot of things in her life, but that was easily one of the worst.

 

When they came out with Walter on a stretcher, he wasn't moving any more, his face covered with a mask.

“Willa, can you watch the bar? I'm going to go in the ambulance with Walter,” Leo said.

She yanked the honour jar from behind the counter and slapped it down.

“I'm coming too,” she told Leo. “I'll take the car.”

“You can't drive yourself to the hospital,” Leo protested. He looked at the paramedic.

He shrugged. “Sorry, there's only room for one ride-along.”

Leo examined Willa. “You go in the ambulance with him, I'll drive.”

Willa nodded.

“Take care of him,” he said softly, so the paramedics couldn't hear.

She nodded, blinking away tears at the edge of her vision.

Who said she could become so attached to such a strange, crazy man.

 

She climbed into the ambulance after Walter had been loaded, and sat where the paramedic told her to.

She held Walter's hand for the ride, thinking he might be scared if he woke up and found that he was strapped down in a moving vehicle.

 

He didn't wake up though, and when they arrived in the ER, she was told to wait outside the room.

Leo arrived moments later and put a hand on her shoulder comfortingly.

 

* * *

 

Walter didn't like it.

He was tired, groggy even, but that would have been fine on its own. But he didn't recognize where he was. He didn't even have to open his eyes to realize he wasn't in his bedroom. It sounded all wrong. No, he definitely didn't go to sleep here. He was sleeping in his bed last time he checked. And he may have been crazy, but this wasn't his bed, or his bedroom. (Because sometimes he did fall asleep on the floor of his bedroom, but this wasn't the case.)

 

He opened his eyes slightly (which took way more work that it should have, did they drug him or something? Was he kidnapped again? Leo didn't like that last time...) and noticed the movement.

There were people. There definitely weren't people in his bedroom. (Okay, well sometimes there was Isabel, and occasionally Willa or Leo came in, but that was different.)

And why were they standing over him while he was lying on his back.

Nope, he was done with that.

He managed to find his hands (at the ends of his arms, surprisingly) and tried to push himself up. It did not go well.

Hands pushed him back down, murmuring at him, but he didn't bother to listen to the words. He didn't care.

He tried to push them away, but there was a reason he had to take time just to find his hands.

“No,” he growled, lashing out again with uncoordinated limbs. He could feel something across his legs, holding him down. _Trapping him._ “Get off!” he ordered.

“We need to sedate him,” someone called, and Walter didn't like the sound of that.

“Leo!” he called. Where was his friend?

 

Leo saw Walter try to push himself up before the noise reached him.

“Stay here,” he ordered Willa, who only stared as he let himself into the room and went to Walter's side, who by now was fighting the hands who were trying to hold him down to no avail.

“Leo!” Walter called, before he even saw the man. No, Willa realized, he _pleaded._ Like Leo would rescue him. She looked away.

 

“Leo?” Walter repeated when he saw him. “Leo, they're hurting me. Make them stop.” He tried to push the arms away again, and managed to get a kick in with one of his legs, which was no longer strapped to the gurney.

“No Walter,” Leo said firmly, holding the man down with one of his hands. “You're not leaving. We need to find out what's wrong with you.”

“There's nothing wrong with me,” Walter protested, struggling against Leo's hand and failing.

Leo's eyes softened. “Walter, you had a seizure.”

Walter stopped fighting his hand. “What?”

“You terrified Willa. She called an ambulance. I know you don't remember, but you have to let the doctors find out what's wrong.”

Walter relaxed slightly. “S'nothing wrong with me,” he muttered, but Leo knew he was giving in.

Leo patted him on the shoulder. “Of course.”

Walter closed his eyes. He was tired. He supposed he could just sort of lay there. That would be alright.

 

The doctor (he was the doctor, wasn't he? Walter supposed he could be one of the nurses too, but he was too tired to care) had other ideas.

“Mr Sherman, I need you to open your eyes and look at me.”

“Nuh.”

“Walter,” Leo warned.

So he hadn't left yet. Darn.

Walter cracked one eye open.

“Both eyes Walter.”

He had to open the other one to roll them anyway.

“Follow my finger,” the (probably) doctor ordered.

Walter did, making sure to roll his eyes before.

“Don't you have anything more interesting for me to look at?” he muttered.

The man ignored him.

“Can you squeeze my hands?”

Walter had to think about that. He'd just known where his hands were, and then forgotten. He tried though, but it might have been weak. He didn't like being weak.

 

“GCS is 12,” someone said. Walter didn't like the sound of that. What was it supposed to be? Was it good? Should it be higher? Lower? Why did doctors have to talk in riddles when his brain was so muddled? Someone should just explain things to him in simple terms.

 

“Mr Sherman, I need you to look at me again,” someone demanded.

No, that wasn't happening. Where was Leo? He wanted to go home.

“Leo?” he tried to call out, but it didn't work.

“Mr Sherman, look at me,” it demanded again.

No, his head was hurting and it was fuzzy, and he just wanted Leo to take him home except his tongue wasn't working in the right way and everything was going to hell.

 

* * *

 

Leo saw the look on Walter's face as it changed from panic, to relief, to annoyance, and then to fear. He looked like he was struggling to say something, but couldn't find the words.

And then his eyes just closed, and he was gone.

Leo could only watch as Walter went into his second seizure of the day.

 

The doctor barked orders for drugs. “Diazepam!”

“He woke up in between, so he's not in status. We need to get a head CT. Draw labs, get a urine sample, and do an LP.”

The various people around Walter seemed to move in double time as they executed a ballet of motions around their leader, who was still contorting, just as he had earlier in the day.

Didn't Walter know there wasn't supposed to be a repeat performance?

 

Leo was ushered to the waiting room by a nurse who noticed his dazed expression.

 

* * *

 

Walter blinked. He was sore all over. Had someone drugged him? Or beaten him up? Was he on a case? He tended to only get beat up and drugged when he was on a case. There was something, but he couldn't recall it being particularly dangerous.

 

“Walter?”

Ah. Leo was there. So probably not beaten up, since Leo would have prevented that. But it still didn't explain why he was so sore.

“Walter, open your eyes.”

He could have sworn they were already open, but he tried anyway.

He was rewarded by the sight of his friend.

“Nicely done Walter,” Leo congratulated.

Walter felt silly for being praised for opening his eyes, but hey, it was one of those days.

“Did you let someone beat me up?” he mumbled.

Someone behind Leo snorted. “The only one who did that was you, Walter.”

He squinted at Willa. “What's that supposed to mean?”

Leo turned to look at Willa. “Isn't Timo here to take you home?”

She rolled her eyes. “Yeah. Let me know what happens to Mr brain damage here.” She waved at Walter as she left the curtained area.

“She's talking about me,” Walter confirmed.

Isabel nodded.

“Frankly, I take offense to that. And what does she mean?”

He tried to push himself up, forgetting how much it hurt to not do anything, and quickly realized it wasn't going to happen.

“Why am I in a hospital?”

That was the big thing he'd been missing.

“You don't remember?” Isabel asked.

Walter frowned. “Should I? I wasn't beat up... except by myself, so I don't know.”

“You had a seizure,” Leo told him. “And then while you were in the ER, you had another. You were talking to us in between, but you must have forgotten.”

“Well it's totally not my fault,” he said defensively. “You must not have said anything worth remembering.”

Isabel smiled.

“So, am I good to go now?” he asked hopefully, knowing there was no chance in hell the answer would be yes.

“The doctor will come see you soon. Just, sit there for now,” Isabel ordered.

Walter threw his hands up. “Not like I have any choice. My legs are sort of jello-y.”

“The nurse told me that you may feel strange after having two seizures,” Leo informed him.

“Yeah, well that's the understatement of the year,” he replied, lifting a hand experimentally to see if it would still shake. Less.

Better. But not improved enough.

 

It was at least half an hour before the doctor showed up. Walter was starting to get a bit bored, and was thinking about leaving without talking to the doctor. (Leo would never let him, but it was entertaining to think about.)

 

“Hello Mr Sherman,” he greeted. “It's nice to see you conscious.”

“I'd say the same, but I wouldn't mean it,” Walter replied cheerfully.

Leo frowned and shook his head slowly.

The man continued on. “I've looked at the CT scans. Even without the results of the blood and spinal fluid tests, I can pinpoint the problem. Mr Sherman-”

“Walter,” he interrupted.

He nodded. “Walter is suffering from hydrocephalus, or excess fluid on the brain. If you look at the scans, you can see how these are dilated.” He held a black and white image up, but Walter couldn't make anything of it besides the fact that it was his brain.

“Cool.”

“Ah, well, not so much. The cerebrospinal fluid is putting pressure on the brain. Mr Knox said you have been having headaches?”

Walter nodded.

“That's a symptom. The increased pressure is also what caused you to have those seizures. It can also cause excessive sleepiness, irritability, changes in personality or memory, and loss of coordination. I'm sure if you look back on the last couple of days, you'll notice some more symptoms that you wrote off as being insignificant.”

Walter only rolled his eyes as Leo nodded.

The doctor tucked the CT scans back into the chart. “So now we need to talk about treatment. I'd like to admit you at least over night so we can monitor you.”

“No,” Walter protested, sitting up. “I feel a lot better now. I can go home. Right Leo? Take me home.”

“Mr Sherman, you feel better because we gave you medication, and you also had a spinal tap done, which released some of the pressure caused by the fluid build up. It will only happen again.” The doctor stared at him. “It was not a solution, merely a temporary measure so we could decide on a treatment.”

Walter frowned. “Which is?...”

“Surgery,” he replied. “We need to implant a shunt to help drain the fluid that's putting pressure on your brain. Otherwise, things like the seizures you experienced will continue to happen, and get worse.”

“What are the risks?” Walter asked, leaning back in the bed, staring down the doctor.

He cleared his throat before speaking. “There are the risks that are always associated with anaesthesia, and adverse reactions. This surgery also runs the risk of a blood clot or bleeding in the brain, swelling, infection, and there is the slightest chance of brain damage. I understand you've already suffered a rather severe head injury in the past, but I've taken a look at your chart, and I see no reason why there would be more risk to you than any other patient. In fact, the shunt may even help with some of the original brain damage if it relieves the pressure. If it has been building for a long time now, the effects could have been so minimal at first that they wouldn't have noticed.”

He looked between the three of them. “This is life threatening if not dealt with. I would like to book surgery for as soon as possible, within the week. Are you prepared to do that Mr Sherman?”

“No,” Walter said firmly, getting up from the bed and throwing his jeans on. He grabbed his shirt and with that, he stalked out of the room, leaving Leo and Isabel sitting there gaping.

“I'll talk to him,” Isabel muttered, jogging to catch up with him.

“Walter is afraid he will lose his ability to find things if he goes through with the surgery,” Leo informed the man.

“I don't know if that will be the case,” he replied. “But without the surgery, he will suffer from brain damage, and will likely die.”

Leo nodded. “Walter is a stubborn man. Hopefully Isabel can get him to see reason.”

“Does Walter have any close family members? Do you know who his medical proxy is?”

“He has a brother. Walter isn't close to either of his parents. Isabel and I are his medical proxies.”

The man sighed, and looked at Leo seriously. “If it comes to the point where Walter is comatose, which is very likely, you and Isabel can make the decision to have the shunt placed. He may be angry with you, but it will save his life.”

Leo stood up.

“Thank you,” he said, holding out a hand for the doctor to shake. “I will discuss it with Isabel. Hopefully she has talked some sense into Walter, but if not...” he shook his head. “I will keep that in mind.”

“Bring him back if he has any more seizures, or new symptoms. He is signing out against medical advice, so please be aware of that.”

Leo nodded solemnly. He knew what was at stake.

 

* * *

 

He found Isabel and Walter sitting in the car, neither of them speaking to the other.

“Well?” Leo asked, tucking himself into the drivers seat. Isabel was next to him, and Walter was in the back, sulking.

“Walter still refuses to have it done.” Isabel replied. “Going on about the risks of surgery and how all surgeons are incompetent.”

“People die in hospitals Leo,” Walter insisted from the back seat.

“Put your seat belt on,” he ordered. He waited for Walter to comply before reversing the car out of the parking space and navigating it onto the streets, heading for home. “People die in hospitals because that is where sick people go. If no sick people went to the hospital, nobody would die in hospitals.”

“They probably only die because they wait so long to go,” Isabel pointed out.

“Not referring to anything in particular...” Walter muttered.

Leo glanced at him in the rear view mirror. “Walter, Isabel is concerned for you, and so am I. Not to mention how Willa may react.”

“There's no need to tell Willa!” he protested.

Isabel spun around to glare at him.

“Walter, that girl has been worried sick about you. I for one will be telling her, whether you like it or not.”

Leo nodded, agreeing with her.

“Okay mom, dad,” Walter growled, tucking himself into the seat facing away from them.

“We wouldn't have to treat you like a child if you didn't keep acting like one,” Isabel noted.

There was no response from Walter, who apparently was giving them the silent treatment.

How _grown up_ of him.

 

* * *

 

Leo watched Walter carefully all that night.

Walter, of course, took note. “I'm not gonna die Leo.”

“Walter, I don't think I need to remind you that you had a seizure earlier. I think I can be concerned.”

Walter waved a dismissive hand at him. “That was this morning. Whole different thing.”

“Hardly,” Isabel frowned. “You're going to try to talk some sense into him, right Leo?”

He nodded.

“Good. I have to go. I'll tell Willa before I leave Don't do anything stupid Walter,” she ordered, giving him a peck on the cheek.

“You worried me today,” she added, giving him a hug as an afterthought.

“I can honestly say that was not my intention,” he replied.

She gave him a funny look, but left to find Willa.

 

As soon as they heard the slam of a car door that indicated Isabel was leaving, Willa came storming into the bar.

She threw herself into the seat next to Walter.

“Walter, you're an idiot,” Willa snapped.

Walter frowned. “Hey Leo, are you gonna let her talk to me like that?”

“I'm sorry Walter, I didn't hear anything,” he replied, his back turned away.

Willa glared at him.

Willa continued. “You were the one who got to be blessedly unconscious for the whole thing, while I was the one to had to watch. And believe me, I rode in the ambulance with you, and Walter, _you looked like crap._ ”

“I can attest to that,” Leo confirmed, placing a drink on the bar for Walter to sip at.

“I thought you weren't listening,” he countered, taking a sip of it, and making a face as he realized it was non-alcoholic.

“I'm not. I am providing an unbiased opinion based on my limited medical knowledge, and experience of having seen you in a number of different states before, including shot, and I can confirm that Willa's assessment of you is correct.”

“Crap, Walter. _Crap._ So I can call you an idiot for choosing to keep on nearly dying.”

“Willa!” Walter protested.

“Get the damn surgery,” she hissed, and with that, stormed off.

Walter looked at the door where she'd left, and then back to Leo.

“Can I get a non-virgin drink here?” he asked, swishing his glass at Leo.

Leo gave him a look that could have melted steel.

“Geez, forget I asked,” he muttered.

 

After getting his own (alcoholic) drink, Leo joined him.

“Walter, I know Isabel already talked to you, but I just need to make sure that I have done everything in my power to try and convince you.”

“Leo-”

“Let me finish. Walter, you know that when you found me and prevented me from killing a man in cold blood, I promised I would give up my life to help you in return.”  
Walter rolled his eyes. “Yes.”

“Well this is part of that,” he said firmly. “You are not only hurting yourself with this decision, you are hurting Willa, Isabel, and me. So I urge you to reconsider.”

Walter spun to face him. “Yes Leo,” he said plaintively. “And now it's my turn to talk. I've told you before about this. About the infinite, thrumming, unseen web. How everything is connected to everything else. And maybe you can't see that because you're just a mollusk, shut up tight at the bottom of a dark, cold ocean, trying to make sense of stars that you can't see! But when I challenge things, electricity bolts from two elements that otherwise appeared unconnected. And you are honestly asking me to give that up?” He shook his head. “I'm sorry Leo, but I can't.”

He looked sad, but Leo nodded nonetheless.

He stood up from the bar. “I think you should go to bed now.”

Walter protested, but allowed Leo to lead him to his bedroom, and tuck him in, rather like a child.

“Good night Walter. Hopefully you'll be better in the morning.”

“You know me Leo,” came the muffled reply. “I'll be fine.”

 

* * *

 

Indeed, Walter was fine the next day. They finished the case, Willa taking great pleasure in being the one who solved it. The grandmother was thrilled, and told them she'd bring them a pie.

(“Great,” Walter had said. “Love me some pie, right Leo?” Leo only studied him for signs of headache, which he couldn't seem to spot.)

Walter even cooked dinner that night. (Leo supervised him in the kitchen, partially because he was afraid Walter would have another seizure, and partially to keep him from drinking the cooking wine. He was sneaky like that.)

 

Leo didn't tuck him in that night. Walter was a grown man, even if he didn't act like it. (Besides, he was busy disassembling his diorama of the old woman's house, complete with furballs, and there was no way Leo was going to interfere with actual cleaning.)

 

So when Walter slept in the next morning, no one really questioned it. He'd done it before, sleep in until noon or one, sometimes even two, and then just show up like nothing happened.

Willa emerged around ten for coffee, and disappeared again.

Isabel showed up around noon, which was when Willa reemerged for food.

“Is Walter not up yet?” she asked, frowning. “I wanted to ask him something about a possible case.”

Leo shook his head. “He hasn't come out of his room. He may still be asleep, or he could just be in Walterland.”

Isabel frowned. “And you're not concerned?”

Leo turned to face her. “I am very concerned, but Walter is a grown man and would not appreciate my bothering him every few minutes for my own peace of mind.”

“Besides,” Leo continued. “He needs rest. Seizures can be very exhausting. Maybe all that lost sleep is catching up on him.”

“He was up when I went to bed last night,” Willa offered.

“And when was that?”

“Midnight.”

Leo looked at her.

“Fine, it was one,” Willa said, rolling her eyes. “But it's not like it's unusual for him; sometimes he doesn't sleep at all at night, then crashes all day.”

“That's true,” Leo said. “But he needs more sleep after what happened, not less.”

“I'm going to check on him,” Isabel decided.

Leo raised an eyebrow. “You will be the one to incur his wrath if he's awoken.”

She shrugged. “So be it.”

 

A minute later they heard her warning him.

“I'll coming in Walter. Be presentable, and if not, hide.”

There was no screaming, which was a good sign.

“Leo?” came the call a moment later.

He did not like the sound of that.

 

He barrelled into the room to find Walter asleep in the bed, Isabel standing beside him.

“I don't know if this is normal or not, or if it's some strange Walter thing,” she rolled her eyes, “but I can't get him to wake up.”

Leo frowned. “He doesn't sleep that deeply.”

“Maybe he's screwing with you?” Willa offered.

Leo glared at him. “Back to what you were doing young lady.”

She rolled her eyes, but left the doorway.

Leo stood next to his friend in the bed.

“Walter,” he said, shaking him gently. But the man didn't stir.

“Walter, if you are attempting to frighten me, you have succeeded,” he snapped. “So stop it.”

He glanced back at Isabel. There was no point in reassuring her.

Leo dug Walter's hand out from under the covers and held it above his face. If he was conscious, he would stop it from hitting him.

But when Leo dropped his arm, it bounced off his nose before sliding down to dangle off the bed.

Leo frowned.

He knelt down next to the bed and placed a hand in front of Walter's nose. He was breathing, but not consistently, or deeply.

“Call an ambulance,” he told Isabel.

 

And for the second time within the span of three days, an ambulance was called to The Ends of The Earth, and Walter Sherman was taken away in it.

 

* * *

 

Leo hesitated before climbing in the back of the ambulance with Walter, looking to Willa and Isabel.

“I'll bring Willa,” Isabel said, swallowing hard and placing a protective hand on the girl's shoulder. She didn't shrug it off.

Leo nodded. “Thank you.”

 

He had to force himself not to do anything as the paramedic took care of Walter, taking over breathing for him and sticking drugs in his veins.

Leo was wishing he hadn't let Walter leave the hospital.

 

When they arrived in the ER, the paramedics made Leo stay in the waiting room.

It was ages before anyone came to speak with him. Isabel and Willa arrived, but he had nothing to tell them.

 

“For Walter Sherman?” the doctor asked.

Leo looked up. It was the same man from the other day.

He nearly tripped over his own feet getting out of the chair.

“How is he?” Leo asked.

The doctor frowned at him. “He's comatose. Some of that is from the pressure on his brain, and some is from the medications and treatment we had to give him to try and help reduce the pressure. A machine is breathing for him now. Mr Knox, if you were going to go ahead with the surgery, now would be the time.”

Leo hesitated, peering over the doctor's shoulder into the room where Walter was.

“Of course,” he said. “The papers to sign?”

“The nurse will bring them to you.” He lowered his voice. “I understand that he may be angry with you, but at least he will be alive.”

Leo nodded, and the man walked away.

 

After he signed the papers, he joined Isabel and Willa at Walter's bedside.

The man was unnaturally still. Even when he slept, he was still constantly tossing and turning, never sleeping so deeply that he couldn't be awoken by soft footsteps in the hallway outside his room. To see him like this unsettled Leo.

“I signed papers for them to do the surgery,” Leo told them, sitting in the chair near Walter's feet. “Don't be angry with me Walter,” he asked the man, taking the smaller hand in his.

“Thank god,” Willa breathed. “Does he really have to be so stubborn about everything?”

“Yes,” Isabel said. “As long as I've known Walter, it's his way or not at all.”

Leo nodded.

Willa looked between them. “Was he always like that? Or was it because of the...” she made a spinning gesture at her head.

“Walter expressed that his father didn't like the change in him,” Leo noted. “He likely was different before his injury, but it may not have affected his personality in that way.”

Willa sighed.

 

Shortly after that, an orderly and a nurse came to wheel Walter away, and directed them to a surgical waiting room on the next floor.

 

“Isabel, you and Willa should go back to the bar. Check on the honour jar.”

Isabel frowned, but nodded. She knew Leo wasn't trying to get rid of her, but more like trying to keep Willa from losing it. She'd been pacing back and forth in the small room, muttering to herself.

“Leo!” she protested.

Leo fixed her with a glance. “I need you to take care of the bar, and I will take care of Walter.”

She narrowed her eyes at him, but didn't protest when Isabel grabbed her arm and gently directed her towards the door.

“Call me!”

Leo shook his head. Like he'd ever be able to get away with not calling?

 

* * *

 

It was two and a half hours before anyone bothered to come tell Leo what was going on.

 

“For Mr Sherman?”

It was a different man, not the one who'd treated Walter in the ER.

“Yes, how is he?” Leo asked.

“Hello. I'm the one who performed the surgery on Mr Sherman. I understand that this was not his decision, but rather yours?”

Leo nodded. “Walter refused to have it done, but as his medical proxy, I made the decision when he was in a coma.”

The man nodded. “The surgery went well. There were no complications, and your friend should recover fully from it. The nurse will ensure he has follow up appointments, and before he's discharged he'll be instructed on what to look out for in case of infection or blockage.”

“And what about brain damage?” Leo asked. “The other doctor said there could be brain damage because he delayed the surgery.”

The surgeon examined him. “We have to wait for him to wake up so we can check. Hopefully, there isn't any, but we can't say for sure. If you'd like, I can take you to him.”

“Yes, thank you,” Leo said graciously.

 

The surgeon led Leo to Walter's bed, in a recovery room. The tube wasn't in his mouth any longer, but a nurse was adjusting a mask on his face.

“He should be waking up in a bit.”

Leo sat down in the chair at the bedside.

The nurse smiled at him as she finished checking machines and making notes in his chart. “Don't be afraid to touch him,” she said. “He's not going to break.”

Leo smiled at her. “Thank you,” he replied, placing two hands around one of Walter's. He had to be careful not to pull out the IV that was taped to it.

The nurse finished her notes, and replaced the mask with prongs that went into Walter's nose.

Leo thought he would protest at this, but the man was still asleep, which was probably for the best. Last time he was in the hospital, he just kept removing things.

 

The nurse seemed satisfied with Walter, and left, but not before showing Leo how to use the call button.

Leo stared at the bandage on Walter's skull. They had to cut some of his hair in order to make the incision, and he knew Walter would not be pleased about that. Forget about the whole surgery thing, Leo would be in trouble about the hair the most.

Still keeping one hand on Walter's for comfort, Leo sifted through the information pamphlets that had been left on the bedside table. He started reading through them, looking up every so often to make sure Walter hadn't stirred.

 

It was when his eyes fluttered that Leo put the pamphlet down and watched carefully for signs he was awake.

“I'm mad at you Leo,” Walter muttered, without even bothering to open his eyes.

Leo beamed. “Men in rage strike those that wish them best.”

Walter grinned. “What guy said that thing?” he mumbled, rolling his head slightly to the side and cracking an eye open.

“Shakespeare.”

“You're holding my hand Leo,” Walter noted, his voice barely above a whisper. “Shouldn't we at least go on a date first.”

“I think we're already past that,” Leo told him.

Walter grinned, his mouth all lopsided, and Leo told himself it was because of the drugs, which was most likely true.

“Did they cut into my brain?” he muttered.

“No,” Leo told him. “They cut into your skull though. And your abdomen.”

Walter made a face. “I don't even want to know. Did they forget where my brain was?”

Leo only sighed at him. “There's some things you can read when you're feeling better.”

“Where're the other people?” Walter asked, waving a hand about vaguely.

“You mean Isabel and Willa?”

“That'd be them.”

“I sent them back to the bar during the surgery. I should probably call and update them, since that was a while ago.”

Walter frowned. “I can't believe they listened.”

“I can be very persuasive.”

 

Walter reached a hand up to his head experimentally.

“Do not touch it,” Leo warned.

“They cut my hair Leo,” he whined.

“Yes, and they had my permission to do it,” he replied.

“What sort of a friend are you,” he pouted.

“Friends don't let friends die Walter.”

“Did someone say that thing?”

“Yes. Me.”

 

Walter was quiet for a few minutes, and Leo hoped he'd fallen back asleep.

“When can I get out of here.”

“Not for at least 24 hours. Brain surgery Walter. It's kind of a big deal.”

He sighed. “Yeah, I suppose.”

 

He was silent a bit longer, but Leo had given up hope that he would fall asleep.

“Help me sit up Leo,” he demanded. “I'm already bored down here.”

“No,” Leo said firmly. “You are not to sit up for 24 hours, which is why that's the minimum time before you can go home.”

“What...” he moaned.

“If you'd like, I can get Willa and Isabel to come. They can bring books, and I can read to you.”

Walter pondered that for a minute.

“Yeah, okay, but none of those philosophy books. I don't want to be put to sleep. Something more exciting.”

Leo smiled and stood up. “I think they're moving you to a room soon. I'll go check on that, and call them. Don't go anywhere.”

“Like I could,” Walter grumbled, but Leo had already left.

 

Walter hadn't moved when Leo returned with the nurse, which was good of him.

“Good to see you awake Mr Sherman,” she said cheerily. “We're moving you out of recovery. Hopefully you can get some rest where it's a little quieter.”

Walter hummed at her, but didn't say much of anything else as she checked to make sure the monitors were all unhooked, and that Leo had all of Walter's personal effects and information pamphlets.

 

* * *

 

When Walter was settled into his new room, Isabel and Willa dropped by to bring Leo the books he asked for, but the nurse kicked them out shortly after.

She claimed it was because of visiting hour restrictions, but Leo was allowed to stay, so he suspected it was something else. (Walter may have mentioned Isabel's gun, but Leo couldn't be entirely sure that was it.)

They left with promises to return in the morning.

 

It was quiet when they were alone.

“How about I read to you now?” Leo asked.

Walter made a confirmatory noise.

Leo opened the book.

“'Once when I was six years old I saw a magnificent picture in a book, called True Stories from Nature, about the primeval forest. It was a picture of a boa constrictor in the act of swallowing an animal. Here is a copy of the drawing.'”

Leo held the book up for Walter to see the picture, and continued on.

 

Leo's voice was soothing, and Walter fell asleep somewhere around the fox. Leo noticed, but kept reading to him until he finished the book.

“I'll have to read it to you again,” he said. “When you're awake, so you can see the pictures.”

 

Walter only dozed on.

“I'll be back in the morning,” Leo told him. And to make sure Walter knew, he wrote him a note and stuck it to his bed, right where he'd see it when he opened his eyes.

 

* * *

 

Indeed, Leo returned in the morning, and brought Isabel with him. Willa stayed to watch the bar.

 

“So what did you guys do last night? Read the book I brought? It had pictures in it,” she said skeptically.

“I read Walter The Little Prince, but he fell asleep halfway through,” Leo told her. “At least I thought he did. Were you asleep Walter?”

He frowned. “Why would I fake being asleep? That's like, the boringest thing ever.”

“He has some creative ideas about the ending,” Leo informed Isabel.

“No,” he protested. “They're totally logical.”

“Walter logic,” Isabel told him.

He scrunched his face up. “Nah, that's not a real thing. See, the story is about the prince-”

“I have read it Walter,” she interjected.

“Right. Well so the way I see it, at the end, he has to go back, because...”

 

Walter went on for half an hour explaining what the little prince had to do, and exactly why. Every bit of which was spot on.

“Are you sure that you weren't awake?” Leo asked skeptically.

“Yup.”

“So the whole thing...” Isabel said slowly. “Was some sort of strange Walter math?”

“Walter math,” he noted cheerfully. “Never fails.”

“Well,” Leo noted. “It seems the surgery did not affect your Walter-ness. Are you relieved now?”

He pondered that for a moment.

“Not yet. I have to actually find something physical first. Finding the end to a story is a bit different.”

Leo shrugged.

“And I know what I can find first!” he announced. “My pants. So I can go home.” He pushed himself up slightly with his arms before stopping and looking pointedly at his friends.

“You really shouldn't be getting up yet Walter,” Isabel protested.

Walter shrugged. “Eh. Imma risk it. Now help me up.”

And indeed, exactly 24 hours after his surgery, Leo did just that.

 


End file.
